Fashion gets woke — with a little help from Gen Z
founded the U.K.-based Fashion Revolution organization, cites the influence of a changing demographic. “It’s definitely a generational thing,” she said. “The younger kids are doing climate drives for schools, and we’ve seen an increased embrace of veganism over the last few years that’s been really incredible. People have been calling for change because they want to see better policies and practices (in place) for brands.”
P.J. Smith, fashion policy director for the Humane Society of the United States, says the same factors are at play when it comes to the pace at which luxury labels are kicking fur to the curb.
“This latest wave has to do with consumers’ changing attitudes toward animals, this new drive for transparency, what’s now available on the internet for people to see and the generation coming up that has the buying power. When Gucci announces (it is going fur-free) on Instagram, and Prada and Versace announce (going furfree) on Instagram, I think they’re looking to reach
Gen Z. ... The buying power of that generation is going to be so much bigger than the boomers’, and they know that that consumer cares about these issues — sustainability (and) animal welfare.”
Studies of the post-millennial Gen Z demographic (those born in the late
1990s and early 2000s) support Smith’s assessment. According to Cone Communications’ 2017 Gen Z corporate social responsibility study, by next year Gen Z will account for 40% of global consumers, with a full 94% of Zs surveyed believing that companies should address social and environmental issues. The Cone study also found that 89% of Gen Z respondents said they’d rather buy from a company that was addressing social or environmental issues over one that wasn’t, and that nearly half of this mobile-first generation reports spending 10 hours a day online.
“Social media plays a huge role,” said Summer Rayne Oakes a model, environmental activist and author who has been calling for transparency in the fashion industry for over a decade. “More so than ever, people can use the power of social media to ‘shame’ companies for values that don’t align with their values. What are the practices that are contentious and that would be a social media liability? People are far more outspoken now — from the lack of diversity seen in Victoria’s Secret to the sexual abuse happening in the fashion and entertainment world.”
“I think now most brands understand that thinking about sustainability is not an option, it’s a necessity. And, more than that, it’s becoming a duty if you want to continue to develop your company.” said Marie-Claire Daveu, Kering’s chief sustainability officer.
“As consumers we really have power over these brands, we can use our voice and our power to bring about change — and we really need to do that,” she said. “So asking the question ‘Who made my clothes?’ is really powerful.”